THERE’S been times this season when Craig Hignett has openly criticised his Hartlepool United side, accusing them of lacking bottle and character.

Yesterday, after a gritty draw at Accrington, the Pools’ boss was full of praise for the spirit and mentality.

The spineless performance at Port Vale in the FA Cup has been followed in their next two away games by back to back draws.

Twice behind at the Wham Stadium, they twice came back. When normally they concede and then a second goal soon follows, this time it was Pools nabbing the next goal.

There were no real Bad Boys in this line-up as they played with Freedom.

With a three-man defensive line they looked solid enough in open play, it was from set-pieces they again looked shaky.

And without a goal in five games before last Friday’s game with Morecambe, they now have netted five in two matches, getting back to the attacking levels they had displayed in the opening weeks of the season.

“We showed character and had to come back,’’ said Hignett. “The challenge for the first one is really poor and then we concede from a corner – we are disappointed in how we conceded.

“We said at half-time that one could win it and we wanted it. Defensively we looked fine again, but we are pleased to show character and spirit to come back with something from the game.

“Conceding and their heads could have gone, but we responded and responded well. When we passed the ball we did it well and it’s disappointing we didn’t do it more often.

“Until we start defending and becoming hard to beat, nasty and aggressive then we find ourselves in this sort of situation when we have to score too many goals to win a game.’’

The first-half was, in truth, a dire 45 minutes.

Neither side wanted to grab the game and control it, neither equally seemed capable of doing it.

Chances were rare. Stanley’s Shay McCartan swept a close-range finish into keeper Adam Bartlett and at the other end Scott Harrison volleyed a Jake Carroll free-kick wide.

The centre-half was to prove far more accurate later.

But Pools’ defensive issues came to the fore as they fell behind. Jake Carroll was caught out he fouled in the area.

Billy Kee had a stinker of a game when Pools beat Stanley at home in mid-November, missing some routing chances, but made no mistake from the spot.

Four minutes on and Pools levelled.

Jordan Richards, the right wing-back, crossed and Padraig Amond jumped early, hung in the area and planted a centre-forward’s headed down into the net.

After scoring against Morecambe on Friday night, and against Grimsby in October, it now means he has scored against each of his former clubs this season for Pools.

Strike partner Billy Paynter was denied a close-range finish when defender Omar Beckles got a touch to the ball ahead of him in the penalty area.

Pools may be without their biggest defensive liability in Toto Nsiala now he’s signed for Shrewsbury, but they still couldn’t keep out a routine corner.

The deep dead ball was headed at goal from distance by Pearson and it appeared to sail over the line in slow motion.

Another soft one conceded, another test of character.

But Pools passed it this time. Mark Hughes, wrongly sent-off in the meeting a few weeks ago, was harshly ruled to have handballed as he brought the ball down.

Richards’ free-kick wasn’t cleared, Paynter went to ground with goalkeeper Aaron Chapman and the ball spun loose for Harrison to run onto and he cracked it high into the net.

Hignett said of Nsiala’s exit: “Toto goes with our best wishes, it didn’t work out for him here and we look for replacements. We should have new signings hopefully this week one or two in for Grimsby.’’

He was unable to make his Shrewsbury debut yesterday as the deal wasn’t fully completed over the New Year holiday.

The Pools boss is hopeful of appointing a new right-hand man to replace Curtis Fleming and is believed to be waiting on an answer from his preferred choice. He said: “Number two, I’m sure I will have one – Sam (Collins) for now and then we sit down and see.

Goalkeeper Carson is to see a specialist after missing the game with a troublesome shoulder injury. He has suffered with the problem for a few weeks and played one with it. Hignett said: “Trev’s shoulder is troubling him and we will have him looked at.

“He hasn’t been transferred, he’s been feeling his shoulder a while now and it’s too painful. He will be assessed and see where we go from there, but we have a good understudy in Adam.’’